


Paris

by colasun



Category: A Star is Born (2018)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Family Feels, Ice Cream, Love, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:48:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24524122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colasun/pseuds/colasun
Summary: Jack's invited to play in Paris. Ally felt happy for Jack, but can't go with him. She's regretting it every minute of the day.
Relationships: Ally Maine/Jackson Maine
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys! In this story, we'll have lots of love and angst and tears, but there'll be a happy end! I promise!

“Ally! Ally!” A deep gruff voice was urging her out of the state she was in. Startled she came to herself, gulping in air and sweating as if she’d just run a marathon. “Hey!” Jack, looking as concerned as she felt, was sitting beside her in bed. Immediately she threw herself into her husband’s arms, letting his presence soothe the fear that this dream had installed in her. He didn’t hesitate to envelop her in his arms, lying back into the bed with her ins his arms. “Want to talk about it?”, he asked but she shook her head, realizing that she was wetting his t-shirt with her tears. She really tried to control herself but just couldn’t. What she’d dreamt of… the image was just too horrible. As stupid as it was she didn’t want to tempt fate into making it true, so she wasn’t going to tell Jack. Not now anyway. He didn’t push, knew it was just hopeless to argue with her when she could even outstubborn him. And he could be pretty stubborn, so it was quite an accomplishment. Maybe he would ask later again, which brought another thought to the surface. 

“I’m sorry I can’t come with you, I really am.” They had planned to go to his gig together, him playing and her backstage, supporting him and marveling at his talent to captivate his fans. It wasn’t often these days that she could do that. He had said the big stages goodbye, with a heavy heart she knew, because of his tinnitus and the temptations that came with the stress. She knew he missed it sometimes, which she would too, now that she knew the feeling of crowds cheering her name and singing her songs. But he didn’t hang up his hat completely, not wanting to give up his passion. Later this day he would fly out to Paris where he’d been invited to play in a theater that was famous for its history and all it had seen over the last century. Jack had wanted to play there so badly when they invited him and she’d been so delighted to see his eyes shine like that, even more so after she said she’d come with when he asked her, that she didn’t think to check her calendar. In her mind, her last concert was scheduled for Thursday the fourteenth, not Friday the fifteenth. Rez had reminded her when she told him, matter of factly that she’d go with Jack, which didn’t go over well, to say the least. In the end, she was very aware that he was right. She couldn’t just not come to her own concert. 

“I know you are. It’s no problem, really. Will miss you with me, though.” Wasn’t he the sweetest? She buried her face even more in his chest, gaining control over herself little by little. A dream, even a horrible one like this, shouldn’t have this kind of an effect on her. It was, after all, just a dream. Something like this would never happen to him, to them. If there was a god he must have mercy for they surely had suffered enough in life with everything that happened before they found each other and their fight with Jack’s addiction and her insecurities and everything. There was just no other option. A silly dream. That was it. Not worth brooding over. 

Her mind made up about this whole thing she kissed his t-shirt clad chest and made to wipe the remaining of the tracks of her tears from her face, not counting on Jack being there before her. His big hands were cupping her face and he studied her for a moment in the semi-darkness, like he was searching for a sign that she was downplaying her sorrows. “Your friends Ben and Jerry are in the freezer.” She rolled her eyes at him while his thumps wiped away the wetness from her face sensually. “You know I’m on a diet, Jack. I can’t have Ben & Jerry’s now. My outfitter will frown upon me.” It was half true. Her outfitter will frown upon her and she was kinda on a diet, but what was life without some Ben & Jerry’s every now and then? Her husband, of course, being a man and therefore without any understanding of the matter, was quick with a follow-up response. “I don’t care about your diet. I'll help ya with the calories. Sharing is caring, right?" Well, that was the saying, wasn't it? But not if it's about ice cream. Then it's every man or woman for themselves. So, no. "I think I'll go back to sleep for now. Thank you, though." With a peck to his lips, she thought the matter closed and her Ben & Jerry's save for when she was alone and not on a diet. It may seem selfish but he probably bought her favorite and even if it wasn't his own favorite he liked it enough to help himself to most of it when they're 'sharing'. Laying back she watched him watch her for a few seconds before he shrugged like it was all the same to him. "Fine with me. I haven't had dessert after dinner anyway." He made to get out of bed, throwing the blanket off of his lower body. He was just in a faded t-shirt and his underpants. His butt was a delicious distraction but not enough to let her man eat her ice cream all by himself. That was a very likely possibility with his sweet tooth and the portioned carton. Narrowing her eyes at his back she willed him mentally to go back on his plan so she wouldn't have to scratch his eyes out. She liked his eyes almost as much as his butt. 

"You wouldn't.", she stated in her most threatening voice, so he knew he would be in trouble if he'd go through with it. When he turned around to look at her, she knew she couldn't let him get to the freezer first. "Ya think?" She scrambled out of bed like the bats out of hell were after her, dressed in just one of his old shirts and her panties, his footsteps not far behind. He had given her a head start or she wouldn't have gotten out of the room at all. But just when she thought that Jack maybe had miscalculated the distance between them and she wouldn't have to share after all, he caught her around the waist and lifted her so her feet weren't touching the ground anymore. "Jack!", she squealed. "Jack! Put me down!" It was hard to breathe while laughing so hard. She loved that he was strong enough to do that. "Ya gonna share with me?", he asked, obviously having fun with the struggling woman in his arms. Charlie was dancing around his ankles, barking and wagging his tail, excited that his parents wanted to play in the wee hours of the morning. He liked to be in Jack's strong arms too and she couldn't blame the dog for it. But Charlie has a sweet tooth too and wasn't ashamed to try to trick her into sharing with him, just like his daddy. For him it was going to be his own dog biscuits, which were a nice treat and wouldn't do her baby any harm. Jack, though, wouldn't be so easy to please. So the answer to his question was clear. She couldn't give up on her friends Ben and Jerry. He would never let her live it down. His charm and sexy voice be damned.

"No way!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it comes, the second chapter. Brace yourself, it gets hot and messy! I can never look at Ben & Jerry's the same way ever again!

"What are you doing?" While he had fed Charlie she had taken off back to the bedroom with her prize, thinking she'd won this round. But then he shut the bedroom door firmly behind him. That smirk on his face was clearly going to be her downfall. "C'mere." She was smirking too and couldn't help but taunt him. "Just give up, Jack. It's mine now. My precious." He shook his head amused, not letting her out of sight. Anticipation was crawling up her spine. It was kinda juvenile but so much fun. "Creepy, but still no.", his gruff voice said before he wrestled the carton out of her hands. The spoon was sticking out of it, ready to be used. Jack was tickling her, which was no fair, but when he finally had it he sat it down on her nightstand instead of shoving a spoonful into his mouth. She didn't have the chance to come out of her stupor before he freed her of the shirt she was wearing with practiced ease. Air was hitting her sensitive skin, making her wonder what exactly he was up to. One of his hands was going into her hair, tilting it up so he wouldn't have to bend down so much and kissed the breath out of her. His lips were inviting, his mouth hot, his beard familiar rough, his touch gentle but firm. Thrilled at this turn of events, she could have ice cream any time but Jack's going to be gone for days, she kissed him back with vehemence, shoving her tongue down his throat in her sudden desperation. Not that he minded, she knew. Freeing him from the unneeded t-shirt her hands had full access to his chest, could rake her nails through the hair and over the muscles, making him groan his pleasure into her mouth. 

So lost in it she was totally caught off guard when one of her nipples suddenly grew cold. "What the…" The words were mumbled and cut off when Jack's hot mouth left hers to close over the coldness, the tip of his tongue licking it away. The sensation was out of this world. If her breasts had felt deprived of his attention before, they certainly didn't need to now because he repeated the same thing on her other nipple. She couldn't help the sounds that were torn out of her throat or the way she arched her whole body into his so she could rub all of her to all of him. If he kept doing this a few more times she was going to come on the spot just from that. Was there a reason they haven't done that before? There must be some serious downside, like with the mess with the cake, but her mind wasn't working properly. Rational thinking while being touched by Jack never was her strong suit. If so she wouldn't have gone to have a drink with him in that cop bar in the first place. So there wasn't any reason to start now of all times. When he looked up at her to see her reaction, smug as could be, she needed to kiss him so badly, feel that tongue that had caressed her tits just a blink of an eye ago working with her own again, feel his calloused fingertips playing with them. So she did, grabbed his face as she did so often, but more rough, more urgently, needier and sealed his lips with hers in an open-mouthed kiss. This wouldn't lead to slow and tender love-making. At least not on the first round. Maybe if they'd had time for a second one. 

The coldness spread from her cleavage down to her belly button, making her feel funny and shivering, shrieking when Jack dipped his tongue in it to stop the trail, blowing a raspberry on her stomach while he was at it, the lovable idiot. Ally could imagine what was going to come next. Where it would continue. Her panties are going to be ruined, she thought, just when it happened. It shouldn't have surprised her. She had anticipated it. But she was. The underwear wasn't much more than a strip of fabric covering her most intimate parts. At the same time sexy and comfortable. And apparently easy to get rid of. The fabric was sliding down her thighs unceremoniously and unappreciated. This time it wasn't a trail of cold. This time she was watching what he was doing, not interested in stopping him. Never stop a creative mind. When he dipped again just a finger in the carton and inserted it to his knuckle into her, she, again, shouldn't be surprised, but was. The cold was melting in her, running down and she should be disgusted, but wasn’t. What she was was unreasonably turned on. Even more so when his mouth caught the droplets and the trail before it could make it’s way past his knuckle. His breath was the straw that broke the metaphorical camel's back. She could never again look at Ben & Jerry’s the same way, she thought, while Jack brought her through her high. 

She felt flushed through and through after coming down, her hair probably as much a mess as her husband’s, where her fingers had wreaked havoc. His bones were creaking a little, he probably couldn’t even hear it himself, when he stood up to his full height again. His lips were wet, his mouth was smiling smugly and the crinkles around his eyes as prominent as the dimples in his cheeks. This was the expression of a man very proud of himself. The smugness fell a little when she cupped him through his boxer briefs. She was exhausted after what he’d done to her, but her mind was thinking about Ben & Jerry’s on his body instead of shutting down. His erection was straining to be freed from its prison, to be touched and caressed, to finally bury itself up to the balls in the promised land. 

Her hands didn’t need to fumble in the dark, they knew how to get rid of any offending scrap of fabric on his beautiful body, torturous slow or like a band-aid. Men didn’t need much foreplay to be ready for action, blessed as they are and Jack’s sexual appetite didn’t need much encouragement either. He’d fuck her any time of the day given the chance and had never refused her coming on to him. His stamina didn’t agree with him jokingly claiming to be getting old every now and then. 

They hardly made it to the big bed just a few feet away, when Ally straddled his waist and guided him to where he belongs. Deep within her. She steadied herself on his chest, nails scraping, fingers gliding through his chest hair, gripping it and smoothing it down when she began to ride him. Fast and hard like she needed it after he teased her to orgasm before. She wanted to do the same to him, to feel the flavor of the ice cream on his shaft, wanted to taste it on his already leaking tip, wanted to know all about it but didn’t have the energy left to play and fuck him. It must wait for another time. Jack's hips were jerking up in response to her more or less aggressive movement. She may feel him for the next day or two, ache a little down there, receive suspicious and knowing glances from some and disapproving tutting from others when she wasn’t dancing as perfectly as her instructor wanted her to. But it was well worth it, she thought, Jackson Maine was worth it all. Even Ben & Jerry melting on the nightstand.


	3. Chapter 3

She knew she clung to him more than usual when they said goodbye at the airport. Even after their great start into the day and the hours since, that horrible dream seemed to still linger in her subconscious. It was hard to shake that eerie feeling of foreboding. It was silly, really, but still. Jack noticed, of course, but didn’t say anything when she hugged him one more time and pecked him on the lips one more time. “Call me when you’re settled, okay?” She was probably going on his nerves but he promised her anyway, again. So she had no choice but to let him go, even when the private jet wasn’t going to take off without him on board. The sooner she’d let him go the sooner he would be back, she argued with herself. They tried not to schedule gigs and appointments in different states at the same time so they wouldn’t be apart for more than a few hours. In their jobs, though, that sometimes wasn’t that easy. 

“You’re distracted, what’s up, sweetie?” Her dad, as thick-headed as he was sometimes, noticed her non-attendance at their conversation at dinner too. Even if she didn’t live at home anymore she still visited her father often, worried about him constantly because of his lack of household skills but liked not to have to do it anymore. He never had pressured her into anything. She just took up that role when she was old enough because she hadn’t wanted to live in a dump. 

Sighing Ally let all pretense of eating go and her fork clattered onto the half-empty plate. Her dad was looking at her, worry in his eyes, like always when he doesn’t know what to make of his daughter’s behavior. “I’m just worried over nothing, dad. Just had this dream I can’t quite shake, is all. Silly, I know.” He didn’t look convinced that it was nothing and because he always had a hard time holding his tongue he let her know. “What kind of dream, sweetie? Anything I can help with? Sometimes dreams did mean something.” Which didn’t help her at all. “I really don’t want to talk about it, okay? I just want Jack to come back soon is all.” The lines on her dad’s forehead deepened even more. He loved his son-in-law, he really does and he had supported their relationship from the get-go, even if it weren’t for all the right reasons. But he worried at the same time about her emotional dependence on her husband. That she fell so hard obviously hadn’t crossed his mind when he had followed her up the steps to her bedroom to press her to give in to Jack’s invitation, delivered through his driver. Her outburst about the man’s alcoholism had stopped him in his tracks. Not enough to change his mind about the matter luckily, though. 

“Shame they didn’t televise it. I wonder how people are overseas. Do they even speak English?” Ally rolled her eyes at her dad. Of course he thought Paris was on the other side of their lovely planet earth. The french language, the Euro and the time difference. As a driver, he met all kinds of people and was still in aw about different cultures and stuff. “It’s a ten-hour-flight, dad, not the end of the world. We could go there sometime, you know? Or if you don’t want to go with us kids, you could treat a girlfriend.” He often referred to her and Jack as kids, like they’re twelve or something. Jack and she weren’t even thirty anymore. Her husband was kinda amused about it where she was irritated. His brother Bobby was older than her dad but had never treated his brother really like a kid, even when he had been twelve. They both had to grow up too fast. 

“It’s way too expensive, sweetie and you know I don’t have time to date.” His excuses were so lame. “It’s not THAT expensive, dad. People are flying there all the time for a holiday. And you know what they say about Paris being the city of love? Maybe you’d met a lovely french woman.” She winked at him and he actually blushed, which made her nearly forget about her own trouble and direct a genuine grin at her father. “You’re making fun of your old dad, that’s not nice. When did you get so mean?” He didn’t mean it like that, of course, his stricken look wasn’t expressing real hurt. “When you proudly showed Jack my baby pictures. Especially that one in that bathtub. I told you to burn that one years ago, you should’ve listened to me.” “But you were such a cute kid, there’s nothing embarrassing about that. That cute nose of yours, the wild curls and you loved your squeaky duck in the bathtub so much. You’d never bathed without it. I still have that doll you slept with when you were little. I’ll show him next time you two are coming over for dinner. You always liked to dress her up and brush her hair, all your pocket money was spent on new dresses and accessories.” She saw her error in bringing up the topic now. “What did I ever do to you, dad? Tell me what?” They laughed heartily after her exclamation, even if she planned on doing a raid to get that doll before her father could show Jack. 

“Feeling better there, sweetie?”, he asked her with all his fatherly compassion when they calmed down. And she did feel better. Nothing would happen to Jack in Paris. She should be more afraid of french woman hitting on her man than some kind of accident or a crazy person storming the Bataclan Theater for a shootout. Her dream becoming actual reality was so farfetched and unlikely that she felt like an idiot just thinking about it. Despite all that Ally just couldn’t completely shake that uneasy feeling in the depths of her stomach. 

“Thank you, dad. Want me to say hi from you when we’re face-timing?” “Absolutely!” She had to laugh again because of her dad being so delighted by this ‘new’ technology. At least it wasn’t new to Jack, who actually lives in the twenty-first century, but she had to talk him into actually using it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know I know, it's been a while. I hope you are all well and still interested in Ally and Jack. They said goodbye at the airport and Jack's gone to Paris for his gig and Ally's going to NY for her own. She's on her way now with fucking Rez talking her ears off. All hell breaks loose at her concert's half-time break! 
> 
> I'd appreciate a comment or two!

Talking to Jack and seeing his face had soothed her fears somewhat. They weren't apart for more than a few hours since he came back from rehab, hopefully never to go back there again. Even if it had been fancy compared to what her father had gone through back in the day. Even so, she knew how painful and difficult it’d been for Jack to confront his demons, stop repressing them with booze and drugs as he did for years and years. It was common knowledge that an addict had to want to be better for himself and not because of someone else, but he had confessed one night to her that he probably wouldn’t have done it if he’d never met her. It was kinda a bad thing to say, to unload this on her shoulders, but in the end, it wasn’t something she hadn’t thought of herself. He never did try to get sober before, not for himself and not for his brother or his career. 

She had dropped Charlie off with her dad before she flew to New York for her own concert, the last one of this tour. The five-hour-flight didn’t bring her sleep like she hoped it would, instead her mind was working nonstop and she snapped at Rez to shut his goddamn mouth when he talked and talked and talked about this and that, the next tour, the next interview, the next meet and greet, the procedures and on and on and on. She’d been so excited when this man had told her how great she was after her performance of ‘Always remember us this Way’ and what he could do for her as her manager. It was her lifelong dream coming true. His impatience the first time in the recording studio should’ve been a neon-colored-warning-signal, but hindsight was always twenty-twenty, so to say. Today he just was a thorn in her side. The fact that he was trying to cut Jack out of everything concerning her career and Jack’s going to let him just to keep the peace wasn’t making it any better. Without Jack she wouldn’t even have a career, so her manager could go fuck himself if he was going to complain every time she asked Jack to join her performance or when she wants him to come with her to the studio and such. Rez was bothered enough by her not wanting to stay the entire weekend in New York and taking the flight on the day of her performance instead of a day early. He was right, it was a tight schedule with her insisting to do it this way but she had wanted to say bye to Jack at the airport and have dinner with her father that evening, so she took that little break for herself. 

So they hadn’t had much time between landing at the airport and their preparations for the evening. Soundcheck hadn’t actually felt that much like work when she’d done it with Jack goofing off around her. But when Central Park began to fill and she was ready to start the show the adrenaline kicked in like every time she got to perform her songs in front of a crowd. She knew people were expecting her to sing ‘Shallow’ for them as some kind of big finish or great start, but ‘Shallow’ was a duet after Jack had blindsided her with putting the pieces she sang this one time to him in this parking lot into a real song and had arranged for her to sing it with him. She’s never going to perform it alone or with another musician, as some people wanted her to and like it seemed common in this business. It was their story. She couldn’t just tell their story with another man. The very thought was absurd to her. Despite that, it was going great. People were singing, cheering and dancing as best they could in the packed crowd. It was thrilling, to say the least. On stage, it was like floating, but the half-time-break had someone escorting her to someone other to make her ready for the second half. A change of clothes. Applying new make-up, drink water and relax for what felt like maybe five minutes. While her hairdresser tried to do whatever with her hair, she saw something in the mirror before her that made her stop scrolling through her missed messages on her phone. On the wall on the other side of the room was a mute tv running. Her hairdresser squeaked when Ally turned around without so much as a warning.

“Where’s the remote? I need to hear this! Turn the sound on!” The other woman shrugged her shoulders helplessly but looked around too until Rez came into the room after a short knock. “We need to go over…” Ally interrupted him before he could even finish the sentence. “Turn the sound on! I want to hear this!” She gestures to the flat screen impatiently. He did look up the see what she was talking about but didn’t look very surprised at the news. She was going to come back to this later. “We don’t have time…”, he tried. “I’m taking the time, Rez, now TURN IT ON!” He flinched a little bit when she shouted the last words at him but reached up to the buttons on the side of the tv so they could hear what was said. 

“We don’t know for sure yet what exactly happened, but it’s most likely terrorism. Maybe it was the IS, but as of now, that’s just speculation. There are at least fifteen victims that died this night and many more hurt. After this, Paris isn’t going to be the same as it was before.” The reporter was talking from the OFF. On tv, they were showing pictures of Paris, of police forces and paramedics, of people covered in blood and unfathomable horror. It felt like 9/11 all over again. 

“Ally, the time’s almost up. The people paid to see you, so you need to go back out to them.” She didn’t even spare him a glance. Otherwise, she’d probably punch him in the face or do something other she maybe would regret later. He knew Jack was in Paris, so to expect her to just ignore that he seemed to be in the middle of something really really bad was blasphemous. Just when the underlined comment under the footage changed and the reporter began to tell them what just happened, the cellphone in her hand began to vibrate. She nearly jumped out of her skin but quickly lifted it to her face to see if it was Jack. God, she hoped it was Jack.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's gig in Paris was going great. But before he knows what's happening, everything changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me so long, I had problem with my internet.

He missed her. He was enough of a man to admit that to himself and he would’ve liked this trip better if she’d come with him. They could’ve made it a weekend, taking Charlie with them and all. But he knew you get all these tour dates mixed up in your head sometimes and he couldn’t be angry about her giving him false hopes. Paris, or what he’s seen between the airport, the hotel and the theater, was really lovely. Rich in history and architecture and full of people who’re just enjoying their time together in cafes, bistros and bars. The streets are filled with music and laughter and the smell of food. In spring, he thought, they’re going to go there together and make it their first official holiday. Ally’s going to be delighted, he thought. She actually speaks a little french and when she sings french he cries every time. She’s never been to France, though and didn’t even have a passport when they began to travel together on tour. His wife was going to love it. 

The theater was beautiful, inside and out. It was old, which he really liked, and gone through many owners and renovations, but still has that feeling of importance that captures you sometimes in impressive places. 

Soundcheck had never been his favorite part. His favorite part, even after all these years, was the music. Hearing it, feeling it with his whole body, creating it himself and with friends like Lukas and the guys. They’d never let him down and nobody of them was going to tempt him to go back to his old ways. He thought it was part camaraderie and part their fear for Ally to castrate them or something. No one would want to mess with her. They love her probably more than him. Which is no wonder since he loves her more than himself too. 

When he stepped up after the band before they ended their performance and the techs had time to change what needed to be changed, the crowd actually welcomed him. Clapping and cheering, cries of ‘Jackson’s’ floated up to him. Lukas clapped him sympathetically on the shoulder and grinned when he began to tear up over it. Whatever he had expected, this wasn’t it. That so many people supported him even after his whole life was pulled through the wringer, not that he read it but he was aware of it, felt like a miracle. He was going to thank them the best way he knows how. Through the music that came from the bottom of his heart and soul. 

However, their demands of him performing 'Shallow', were going to be disappointed. This song wasn't made for a solo performance, not for his voice alone and also not for any other woman than the one who gifted it to them. He knew her manager thought otherwise and was working towards getting Ally around to his sight of things. Namely that Justin Bieber or Ed Sheeran would be more than glad to work with her. Jack didn't know Justin in person, but he did know Ed and Ed was a good fun guy to be around and a good musician to boot. He'd be a good choice if they were to arrange 'Shallow' differently. But this was their story, Ally's and his. There's no place for Ed or P!nk, even if he respects the hell out of that woman, in this equation. Rez was proving himself a fool if he really thought Ally's gonna agree to that. Aside from that, Ed does have his own catchy and soulful ballad which he and Ally absolutely loved and he even got Andrea Bocelli to sing it as a duet with him. And Andrea was singing it with his son Matteo when Ed wasn't around. So win-win for all of them if that's the way you wanna play it. 

The guys and he were making a good start with 'Alibi'. The people were really going for it and they found their footing fast with this crowd. They gave it their all like they always did and were soaked through with sweat when the last note of the last song rang through the hall. Men and women were beside themselves. They'd gladly provided them with an encore but there wasn't time for that. The techs needed time to change a few things before the next band was going to drive them completely nuts. Without thinking he took his cellphone out of his back pocket to dial Ally. He seldom carried one with him before she persuaded him in a way he hadn't been able to refuse to do so. Covering his other ear so he at least had a chance to hear his favorite voice over the noise behind him, he listened to the dial tone, imagining what she's doing right now. What time was it back in the States anyway? Was it a good time to catch her or was she still in the middle of stunning her audience? He could see the image before him and knew why they were taken with her. Why men were lusting after Ally and women wanted to be like her. He knew he was a lucky bastard that she had picked him of all people. The one single good thing that had ever come out of his alcoholism was that he had wanted a drink that bad that night, with his bottle in the car already empty, that he hadn't cared in what kind of bar he got himself into as long as it was serving booze. And it did. So he drank whatever it had been in his glass in the packed drag bar with this excited guy chatting right next to him. And then Ally came on stage, with her long hair painted black, fake eyebrows and a voice to die for, singing ‘La Vie En Rose’. He'd been so moved he hadn't even noticed he was crying until Ramon had pointed it out for him and later took him backstage to meet Ally. That guy's on his Christmas-card-list for the rest of his life. Well, he was on Ally's, cause Jack's not having such a list and didn't write any sort of card. Christmas or otherwise. His handwriting was terrible. 

“JACK? IS THAT YOU? JACK?” The line had connected. Why was she sounding so agitated? Was something wrong? Before he could ask her what’s the matter, all hell broke loose behind him. Turning around he saw people duck or run, heard them screaming and what sounded like gunshots. But that couldn’t be, could it? This wasn’t a John Wayne movie, this was a theater in Paris. “JACK? ARE YOU THERE? JACKSON?!” 

The phone slipped out of his hand when everything around him turned black.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What should she do? Call the concert off and fly to Paris to get Jack, or stay and pull through? Touch choice.

“JACK? JACKSON!” She knew her voice had become jarring in the last few seconds, but she couldn’t help it. Jack had called her without saying anything. The things she did hear over the phone were horrible, though. And her husband was right in the middle of it. Then the line went dead and her heart stopped for a moment. What happened? Was he hurt? Shot at? Dead? No, she thought, he’s not dead. She’s gonna kill him if he left her like that. Determined she stood up, already dialing her brother-in-law, but looking directly at Rez. “I’m going back out…” He interrupted her before she could even end the sentence, looking relieved. “That’s the right choice, Ally, you’ll see.” Has he lost his mind? No way would she go out again to sing as if nothing happened. She’d pay the people back out of her own pocket if she had to. “To tell them that I can’t continue. We reschedule or I pay them back personally if I have to.” He blanched. “No, Ally! Stop it right here and take a breath! I know you’re upset right now, but there’s nothing you can do, so why don’t you take ten minutes more for yourself and we’ll see after that?” His words and soothing tone like he was telling a child off were registering in her mind. Right before she was in his face, losing her overboiling temper. “FUCK YOU, REZ! FUCK YOU! I’m so tired of you belittling me or my husband. We don’t need you, you hear me? So GET THE FUCK OFF OF MY BACK IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR FUCKING JOB!” Leaving him standing in the middle of the room she made her back to the stage, calling Bobby on the way. 

She didn’t even know what time it was back home. Maybe early afternoon? When he didn’t answer the first time and not the second or third time she called her feeling about the situation worsened. He was with him she remembered then. Bobby was with Jack in Paris. Of course, he was. And not one of them was answering their fucking phone. Jack’s was dead and either Bobby’s was too or it was off, which wasn’t that much better. Frustrated she had no choice other than to keep it in her hand or give it to someone she trusted with it. Her dress doesn't have any pockets. She barely knew most of the people with her and she wasn’t going to give it to fucking Rez. 

The crowd began to cheer and call her name when they saw her coming back on stage, but when Ally quickly motioned to the band and the background dancers and background singers that she’s not going to need them, the noise quietened. Puzzled as to what was going on. 

“Hey, guys!” She didn’t think much about what she was going to say so she just pushed through. “I know you’re waiting for the show to go on, but … I can’t.” You could’ve heard a pin drop in the following silence before some began to boo and others were just speechless. “I’m really really sorry, y’all! Maybe some of you have read or heard about what is just happening in Paris? I have too, backstage. And maybe some of you have read or heard that Jack’s there too at the moment? He’s playing in the Bataclan right now, with his brother side-stage. That is where there’s a shooting going on at the moment.” Her voice broke at the last words, tears threatened to fall and her throat was all closed up. “I really really hope you can understand that I can’t concentrate on anything else than my family right now. We’ll schedule a new date for this concert where you’re tickets are going to be accepted or I’ll pay you back myself. Whatever works, I don’t know yet.” She was beginning to ramble because she was so nervous about everything. What if they were hurt? Really really physically hurt? Her costume felt like it’s caging her in. The tightness hadn’t bothered her before. Not much anyway. She had designed most of her costumes herself after all. Now it was crushing her. She needed to get out of it. Soon.

“If anyone of you is waiting on news about their loved ones too, I’m praying for you and them. Please do the same for Jack and Bobby! G’night!” She couldn’t stay there any longer, needed to get out of there and actually DO something. The screen of her phone was still black. No missed calls or messages. This was driving her crazy. Rez halted her charging back into her changing room. He was still there, for some unknown reason. If he so much as told her again she shouldn’t think about Jack and move on, she’d be in his face again. This time not only with words. 

“I organized a private flight for you to Paris. You can change and drive straight to the airport.” The guy does have the decency to look a little bit ashamed of himself, so she wasn’t going to make his life more complicated than it has to be. For now anyway. They’re going to have to have a talk when all of this was over, though. It couldn’t go on as it did until right now. “Thank you, Rez.” He nodded and got out of the room. She didn’t hesitate to make good of her time, changed into normal clothes and was at the airport as fast as possible. For a moment she feared that Paris would close the airport to incoming flights, but thankfully that wasn’t the case, the pilot reassured her. Before they took off and she had to pocket her device, she left Bobby a voicemail, again, this time to inform him of her current status. She also contacted, again, the American Embassy in Paris for updates, but they didn’t have one and asked her to give them a little bit of time before calling again. They did take more time to take action, it seemed, than she liked, but even she knew it wasn’t going any faster if she constantly harassed them. And it’s not like the Embassy can tell the police what to do. 

It was madness to fly hours and hours and hours without even knowing what’s awaiting you when you arrive at your destination. She hadn’t booked a hotel room or such and wasn’t going anywhere else than where Jack was at the very moment. Wherever that was. If he was fine or not. If she didn’t have any messages on her phone by then she’s going to wait at the airport for news and harass the president of France personally if she had to. He wasn’t safe from Ally’s wrath if anything happened to her husband or her brother-in-law and the authorities weren’t doing their absolute best to help them and bring families together again. Sleep claimed her on the way over the ocean, but it was a troubled one and she didn’t feel rested at all when they FINALLY landed. To everybody’s luck, Bobby had called her back in the meantime. What he said wasn’t much, essentially that he was unharmed whilst Jack’s going to be operated on soon. He combined that heart-stopping piece of information with the name of the hospital they’re in and so she rushed through traffic to get there as fast as humanly possible. His deep bass had sounded calm on the surface, but she had heard the tremble in it, the sorrow over his baby brother’s condition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did Ally make the right choice? What do you think?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ally arrives in Paris and met Bobby at the hospital. Jack's not completely out of the woods yet.

“Thank god you’re alright!” Bobby actually stumbled a little bit with the force she hugged him. Jack was used to it so he almost always braced himself if he had the chance to. She had hugged Bobby before, but never tackled him like that. Thankfully that sturdiness she so loved about Jack was running in the family. “I was lucky. Just lucky.” His voice did tremble a little bit. They were soothing each other for a moment, feeling relieved to have someone in their corner to cling to. “Jack’s still in surgery.”, he grumbled into her ear. “He was in so much pain, Ally, but wouldn’t let the doctors give him any medication at first aside from the absolute minimum. The idiot. Afraid he’d ended up like before, y’know.” Both their eyes were watery now. She was so going to smack Jack upside the head when he woke up. For getting hurt in the first place and for him being difficult with the people who wanted to help him. 

Separating from each other they sat down in the waiting room. Bobby was holding up two see-through bags from next to him. “One of the nurses gave me this.” In one bag were Jack’s rumpled clothes and shoes, which she didn’t want to go through at the moment from the look of it. The second one included his wallet, broken phone, keys and jewelry. The pendant-necklace he always wore and his wedding ring. Rationally she knew he couldn’t take these things with him into the OR. Nevertheless, it hurt to hold the platinum band in her palm. Quickly and without thinking how ridiculous it was going to look, she slipped the ring onto the necklace and tried to put it on. It was much too big for her small throat, but she was going to wear it until Jack could do it again. The chain proved to be difficult with her fingers shaking like a leaf. “Here, let me.”, Bobby offered and did it like a pro without mentioning that this was utterly unnecessary. In the next half an hour he brought her up to date about what happened in general and of what he knew about what happened to his brother in particular. He’d seen him fall down from the stage and was frightened to death. Jack had never fallen from the stage in all the years he was on it. No matter how drunk or high he’d been, he’d always known his way around a stage. 

"His head was bleeding, Ally. Looked bad." Her tears were falling freely now, the image was just too horrible not to while holding one of the older man's trembling hands in both of hers. “And something’s wrong with his foot. Doctor said it didn’t look like he’d been shot. It’s likely from the fall. Couldn’t say for sure, though.” She was relieved he most likely wasn’t shot and was going to make it from what she understood from Bobby’s deep rumbling. Her brain tried to bridge the time waiting logical. Her heart hadn’t gotten that message, though. It still was working double-time until a nurse magically appeared in front of them. “Family of Mr. Jackson Maine?” They both shot out of their seats in record time. The young woman didn’t even flinch. Obviously used to this kind of reaction. “I’m his wife, Allison Maine and this is his brother, Robert Maine.” Again the woman hardly reacted, despite the fact that she must at least recognize Ally. Or maybe Ally looked like she felt, raccoon eyes from the rundown mascara and all. 

“The two of you can see him now. From what I can tell you the operation went just fine and he’s going to wake up any time now. The doctor will come and explain everything else to you shortly. This way, please.” She led them down the corridor to a section of private rooms and stopped in front of one of it to put on these horrible hospital clothes for protection. Looking through the window they saw Jack laying in his bed, wires and tubes sticking out of his upper body, one of his legs in a cast and propped up, one side of his head was looking different shades of red and blue, a head wound was covered up with a bandage. She so wanted to cry again, but knowing he would feel terrible enough as it is, she tried to keep it together. Touching him and kissing him and hearing his voice will make her feel better. Much better in fact. And she knew that he will feel better with her kissing him, touching him and talking to him too. 

While they still waited for Jack to fully wake up, she was holding his hand like a lifeline. Bobby was hovering on his other side, watching the monitors like that would make any kind of difference. Jack was working his way to consciousness, blinking slowly and trying to comprehend what was going on around him. His hand in hers wasn’t retreating, it was holding on tight. A little too tight, in fact, but she wasn’t going to complain about that. “What happened?”, was the first thing he rasped out. It wasn’t easy to still behave like a normal person and not to let her emotions get the better of her just now. Seeing her at his side he blinked again, swallowed and then frowned. Not what she thought was going to happen. “They shouldn’t have bothered you. I’ve ruined your concert, didn’t I?” Her former urge to kiss him gave way for the urge she had before that. To smack him upside the head. Fucking men. 

“YOU ASSHOLE NEARLY DIED IN FUCKING PARIS!”; she shrieked. It must’ve been really loud. Both men winced. The nurse looked impressed. The doctor that was about to come in stopped in the doorway, looking like he wanted to back out again. “Bad time?”, he asked. “I can come back later.” Ally shook her head. “No, doctor. It’s alright. Come on in. Make him better, so I can smack him upside the head until he stops saying stupid shit like this!” She was out of the stool beside his bed agitated now but was still holding his hand and his grip hadn’t loosened up either. So that was that. Cautiously the man came in, looking like he’s fearing her wrath too. “I’ll try my best, Mrs. Maine. Maybe the smacking could wait a week or two until his severe concussion’s better and the wound he got when his head collided with the ground isn’t going to open up again when you do it. That’d be great of you.” His dry reply startled a hysterical laugh out of her. Bobby was chuckling too, the relief evident in his features.“Can I at least kiss him, doctor? Or does that have to wait until later, too?” “The fun things will have to wait too, I’m afraid. It seems like your husband’s foot had been caught up in some wires in the heat of the moment, which made him stumble and fall down the stage. A bullet had grazed said leg too, so that might’ve been the trigger for everything. We didn’t see it at first with the bone broken and everything. But I think kissing’s going to increase his healing process in a big way. I highly recommend that.” 

Well, that was answering a bunch of questions she didn’t even think about until right now. She was so going to think about that later. Ignoring all the other people in the room she leaned over Jack, abandoning his hand in favor of touching his face. Feeling his scruffy cheeks and feeling his breath just short of her own lips, gazing into his eyes. His hand had wandered to her waist, holding her in place, fisting her shirttail, his knuckles grazing bare skin. Her man was strong. He was going to get better in no time at all and she was going to be with him every step of the way. Just like he’d be with her if it were the other way around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been quite a journey. Thank you for reading!


End file.
